Combination fence tool



Feb. 23 1926. 1,574,671

M. L. MAREK COMBINATION FENCE TOOL Filed April 2, 1925 INV EN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 23,

- uNiriEn surpas PATENT oFFieE.

MARTIN L. MABEK, or rnoara, rumors, Ass-tench or onn-srxrn rocnonen A. SHURTLEFF AND ONE-SIXTH 'ro JOHN M. N'TEHAUS, In, BOTH or PEOBIA, ILLI- NOIS.

COMBINATI'QN' r'nivcn' TODL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN L. Martini, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Fence Tools, of which the following is a specitication.

My invention relates to fencing tools.

My object is to provide a tool of simple and cheap construction formed in one piece, and which will be complete in itself for performing argreat variety of operations in connection with wire fences-such, for instance, as taking down old fences, or tightening up sections that have become loose; or for pulling and stretching the wires in building new fences, etc. 5

Other objects will appear in the sub'joined description.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the several parts relatively to each other, as will be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a section of wire fence and my improved tool as used for drawing staples.

Fig.- 2 is a transverse section of the device on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a plan view; and,

Fig. 4; shows the cut face of a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring further to the drawings, thedevice consists of a shank 1 formed preferably from a square bar of steel. This shank l'Oll'l'llllEttCS at one end in a section 2, bent at right angles to the shank 1, and tapered nicely to a point. At its other end the de vice is provided with a claw 3; and between its ends with an integral linger 4 disposed at a slight angle to the main shank 1 so as to form a tapered opening 5 between them. lhis finger 4: is on the same side of the shank as is the bent end section 2, for a reason that will appear hereafter.

The claw 3 is disposed its flat way in the same direction as the bentend section 2, which for convenience of terminology might be called a wrecking hook. The finger 4 extends transversely in. a direction at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the hook Q,- and the flat way of the claw 3.

In operation when it is desired to remove a staple from a post, the sharp point of the hook 2 isinserted in thestaple, and then a blow from a hammer drives it into the staple, which in turn draws the staple out of the post, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings.

To prevent the hook 2 from damaging staples that it may be desired to use again,

the tapered corners of the hook may be slightly eased off or rounded a little as indicated at 6, in Figs. 2 and 3.

One object in making the shank of the device square in cross section is that it may present sharp corners across which the wires may be laid, and with the stroke of a. hammer, easily broken when desired. In the next place this provides the shank with a fiat rear face 1, so that the device can be used somewhat as a hammer for driving staples and for tightening them up when a hammer is not at hand. The fact that the finger 4 is located on the inner side of the shank, in the same plane, so to speak, with the hook 2, causes the whole force of a blow with the tool to be delivered in that plane when the device is used as a hammer.- lf this finger i were on either the right or the left side of the device instead of on the inner side, it might impart to the device a slight tendency to turn in the hand in the direction of the side it was on, when a blowwas delivered with the device; Such, however, would not be the'case if it were on the opposite side from where it is, that is; on the back or side 1 of the d vice: however there is a special reason for having it located (in the inner side of the device, just as shown in the drawings, which reason. will presently appear. Moreover, thcco'mbined thickness of the shank 1, and the finger l, withthe space 5 between the two, all combine to make a broad place, so to speak, in the device just at that point where it is grasped by the hand in holding the device to use it as a hammer. Nearly all handles of hammers, axes, etc., are somewhat fiattened in the direction of the blow to be delivered; and this is on account of the hape of the human hand when closed around a tool handle. It not only gives a firmer grasp, but also facilitates holding the tool handle against turning in the hand, and

therefore enables the operator to deliver a truer blow.

From Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the corners 4& and 4 of the finger 4, and the opposite corners 1 and l of the shank l are rounded ofi to make this handle portion of the device more agreeable to the hand of the user.

It will also be noticed that when the devicei's in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, ready to be grasped by the hand of the user, the claw 3 iscurved 'upwardly, so that its tendency will be to come behind the wrist of the user where it will be out of the way, instead of being turned downwardly more into position to be catching in the sleeve of the user, or to ments of the device when used asa hammer. Thus it will be seen that every shape and bend in the device has reference to the other parts to form a tool of great simplicity and usefulness, for the purpose for which it is designed. a

When it is desired to tighten up loose sections of old fence, or to pull and stretch wires in building new fence, the wire may he placed in the space 5 between the finger 4 and the shank 1 of the device; and with the claw 3 in engagement witha post may be easily drawn up; in which case, the hook 2 will serve as a handle if the pull be difiicnlt enough to require the use of a handle. That is why it is desirable for the finger 4. to be on the same side of the shank 1 as is the hook 2. Moreover it will be seen that if the finger 4 were on the under side of the device instead of on the upper side, the wire would have a possible tendency at times to slip out of the space 5 by gravity, as is not the case when the finger is placed on the upper face as shown in Fig. 3. This .i'urnishesfurther evidence of the statement just made that all the parts of the device have reference to each other in the product on of a unitary tool.

When it is desired to twist two wires together, the hookQ is inserted between the wires, and the rest of the device is swung round and round till the desired number of twists are given. The taper of the hook 2 always makes it comparativelyeasy to disengage the tool from the twisted wires, no

be contacting with other things, in the move-.

matter how tightly they have been twisted around it.

The rear convex side ofthe claw forms a fine bearing surface for the end of the tool when it is used for tightening and stretching wires by means of the tapered slot 5 as described above. However, in cases where the tool shows a disposition to slip on its bearing, the concave side of the claw is turned to engage the hearing, so that it will have a strong tendency to dig in and hold.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have produced a tool of unitary construction of great simplicity, and yet of great adaptability to a broad range of useful operations in connection with wire fences.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. device of the character described, comprising an elongated shank portion having at one end a section bent approximately at right angles thereto; a claw at the other end of the shank; and a rigid finger portion branching off at a sharp angle from the shank between said bent end and said claw and on the same side of the shank as said bent end with a tapered space between said finger portion and the shank from which it branches off, the bent end, the side finger, and the claw end of the device being in approximate alinement with each other.

2. A device of the character described, comprising an elongated shank portion havmg at one end a section bent approximately at right angles thereto; a claw at the other end of the shank; and a rigid finger portion branching off at a sharp angle from the shank between said bent end and said claw and on the same side of the shank as said .ent end with a tapered space between said finger portion and the shank from which itbranches off, the bent end, the side finger, and the claw end of the device being in approximate alinement with each other, the bent end'of the device andthe spread of the claw both extending approximately in the same plane, the side finger being nearer to the claw than to the bent end of the device withthe inclined space between the finger and shank opening toward the claw end of the device.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 

